Atomizing device



July 15, 1958 J. A. PAASCHE ATOMIZING DEVICE Filed Dec. 23, 1954 IN V EN TOR.

Unite rates ATOMIZING DEVICE Jens A. Paasche, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Cline Electric Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application December 23, 1954, Serial No. 477,209

Claims. (Cl. 299-148) The present invention relates to an automatic action spray or airbrush device and, more particularly, to a novel atomizing device particularly adapted for atomizing fluid material such as liquid chemicals, paint, lacquer and the like.

Atomizing devices of the general type contemplated herein have heretofore been proposed and such devices include a nozzle, means for supplying fluid material of a great variety to different sizes of heads or nozzles, and means for supplying gas such as air under pressure for discharging the fluid material from the nozzle. In addition, such heretofore known spraying or atomizing devices have included valve means actuated by the air on der pressure for controlling the flow of the fluid material or paint to the nozzles. It has been found that in many instances it is desirable to use gas or air under one pressure for operating the atomizing controlling valve and air under another pressure for discharging the chemical from the nozzle. It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an automatically operating spraying or atomizing device of the general type described above with novel means for independently regulating the pres-- sure of gas or air directed to the nozzle and to the paint control valve operating means.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel spraying or atomizing device of the type set forth in the preceding paragraph, which device is of relatively simple and economical construction.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a spraying device with a novel arrangement of gas or air supply conduits and control valves for independently controlling the pressure of air supplied to various parts of the device.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a central longitudinal cross-sectional view of a spraying device embodying the principles of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along line 22 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 in Fig. l.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, wherein like parts are designated by the same numerals throughout the various figures, a spraying device 16 embodying the features of this invention includes a nozzle assembly 12, a body member 14 and a housing 16.

Thebody member 14 is provided with a nipple 18 adapted to be connected to a source of spraying liquid material such as paint and the like and the nipple has apassageway 20 therein for conducting the spraying liquid to a central bore 22. In accordance with the resent invention, the body member 14 is also provided with a nipple 24 for connection of a supply of air under pressure in a manner described more fully below, and the estates Patented July 15, 1953 nipple 24 has an air passageway 28 therethrough. As shown best in Figs. 2 and 4, the end of the body member 14 is provided with inner and outer annular grooves 30 and 32 and the passageway or bore 28 opens into the inner groove 30. As will become apparent from the description hereinbelow, gas or air under pressure is directed from the annular groove 30 through the nozzle assembly for discharging the spraying material from the nozzle. In addition, the body member 14 is provided with a passageway 34 connecting the groove 3t) with a bore 36 in a valve housing 38 and another passageway 40 connecting the bore 36 with the outer annular groove 32. Between the passageways 34 and 40, the bore 36 is provided with a valve seat 42 and a valve 44 is disposed for cooperation with the seat to control the air flowing into the passageway 40. The air under pressure passing through the passageways 34 and 40 is utilized to break up and spread the spraying material discharged from the nozzle and this action may be controlled by adjusting the valve 44 which is connected to a knob 46 threaded into the nipple 38. The knob is calibrated to indicate the position to which it is adjusted, and its threaded shank is split as at and provided with a conical seat 47 so that it may be expanded and locked in the adjusted position by a set screw 49.

The nozzle assembly 12 includes a hollow tip threaded into and communicating with the central bore 22 in the body member. The tip is provided with a restricted outlet 50 through which spraying material such as paint and the like is discharged. A nozzle cap is clamped against the end of the body member by not 54 and provides air passageways 56 communicating with the groove 30 for directing air under pressure through an outlet opening 58 surrounding the nozzle tip outlet opening 50 to draw the spraying material out of the opening it The nozzle cap is also provided with air discharge openings 60 which communicate with the annular groove 32 through an annular passageway 62. The air discharged through the openings 6t} is directed against the spray issuing from the outlet opening Sli to break up the spray and cause it to form a predetermined pattern.

In order to prevent leakage of the spraying material or paint when the device is not in use, a needle valve 64 is provided for closing the outlet opening 511 The needle valve is connected to or may be integral with a valve stem 66 which extends rearwardly through the body member 14 and into the housing or cylinder 16. Within the housing there is fixed on the stem 66 a piston structure 68. The piston structure includes a chuck 69 having an enlarged collapsible end with a slot 70 thercthrough and a conical surface 71. A body member 72 is slidably disposed on the chuck and has a surface adapted to mate with the conical surface 71. A cup-shaped washer 73 of leather or the like and a metal washer are disposed on the chuck and held in assembled relationship by a nut 77 which is threaded on the chuck. In addition, by tightening the nut, the washers and body member are forced on the chuck so that the conical surfaces of the chuck and body member cause the enlarged chuck end to collapse and tightly grip the stem 66, whereby the piston assembly is fixed with respect to the stem. The valve stem is normally urged toward the left as viewed in Fig. 1 to close the outlet opening 59 and this is accomplished by means of a compression spring 74 which acts between the washer 75 and a cap 76 closing the end of the housing. A nut member 78 is threaded onto the cap and a knob 79 having a threaded shank fit) is threaded into the nut member, the knob is provided with an elongated stem 81 which is engageable with the stem 66 to limit the amount which the valve 64 maybe opened and, therefore, the flow of. fluid through the opening Sill. A suitable calibrated disk 32 is positioned between the knob 79 and the cap 76 and a pointer 83 fixed on the knob cooperates with the calibrated disk to indicate the position to which the knob is adjusted. A spring 85 is provided between the knob and the nut member to resist rotation of the knob whereby to assist in adjusting the flow of material being sprayed by holding the knob at an adjusted position while the operator observes the spray. Means is also provided for securely locking the knob in its finally adjusted position and this means includes a screw 87 threaded intothe knob and having a conical tip cooperable with a conical slot to expand the shank which is split at 89. By expanding the shank tightly against the nut member, the knob is firmly locked against inadvertent movement. In order to open the needle valve 64, the piston 68 is shifted by gas or air under pressure supplied to a chamber 91 within the housing 16 and communicating with the cylindrical portion of the housing. It is understood, of course, that the housing 16 is connected to a body member 14 by suitable means including a coupling nut 93, which means seals the chamber Q1 against the escape of air therefrom.

As set forth hereinabove, there are many instances when it may be desirable to utilize air under one pressure for shifting the piston 68 to open the valve 64 and air under another pressure to discharge the spraying material or paint from the nozzle. For example, in order to obtain substantially instantaneous opening of the valve 64, it is desirable that the air introduced into the chamber 91 and to the piston be under a relatively high pressure while at the same time the particular spraying operation may require the use of air under a relatively low pressure for discharging and atomizing the spraying material from the nozzle. Therefore, in accordance with the present invention, air or gas under pressure is supplied to the air inlet passageway in the body member and to the chamber 91 through control valve means generally indicated by the numeral 86. The valve means 86 includes a hollow body 88 having a nipple W adapted to be connected to a source of gas or air under pressure, not shown, and an oppositely disposed coupling member 92 adapted to be connected to an air inlet nipple 94 on the housing 16. The housing is provided with a passageway 96 for connecting the nipple 94 to the chamber 91. The valve body 88 has a centrally located enlarged chamber 98 which communicates with both the nipple 90 and the connecting member 92 so that the flow of air to the chamber 91 and the piston is unobstructed. In order to supply air or gas to the passageway 22 in the body member 14, the valve body 38 is provided with a transverse passageway 100 communicating with the chamber 98 and extending through a nipple MP2 and an air conduit 194 is connected to the nipple 24 on the body member 14 and to the nipple M2 by nuts 1% and 1% for directing air under pressure from the valve body 88 to the air inlet passageway 25. In order to control the pressure of the air delivered to the passageway 28, the valve body 88 is provided with a valve seat llllt) between the chamber 98 and the passageway llfitl and a valve 112 is disposed for cooperative engagement with the seat. By adjusting the position of the valve ill2'relat-ive to the seat 110, the pressure of the air delivered to the spraying nozzle may be varied as desired and this adjustment may be accomplished by connecting the valve 112 integrally or otherwise with an adjustable knob 114-. The knob 114 is threaded into a bushing 116 secured to the valve body 88 and a calibrated disk 118 is disposed for cooperating with the pointer 12%) extending from the knob to indicate the air pressure to which the valve 112 is adjusted. The disk 118 is retained on the bushing by means of a nut 122 and, in order to prevent inadvertent adjustment of the valve, the knob lllld is frictionally restrained against rotation by a compression spring 124 disposed between the nut 122 and the head of the knob.

From the above description it is seen that the present invention has provided a spraying device with novel means whereby gas or air under pressure may be directed from a single source to various parts of the device and the air pressure in each part of the device may be individually controlled. More specifically, it is seen that the present invention has provided a novel and simple means for directing air under pressure to the nozzle and to the valve actuating piston and for adjusting the pressure of the air supplied to the nozzle without changing the pressure of the air supplied to the piston. It will also be appreciated that because of the relatively simple structure of the novel elements of the present invention, spraying devices heretofore used may be relatively easily modified to incorporate the novel features of this invention.

While the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described herein, it is obvious that many structural details may be changed without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

The invention is claimed as follows: p

l. A spraying device comprising a nozzle member, means for supplying material to be sprayed to said nozzle, a valve for controlling the flow of said spraying material, a body member connected to said nozzle member means disposed within said body member and operable by gas under pressure for actuating said valve, a valve body disposed adjacent and detachably connected to one of said members, said valve body having an inlet adapted to be connected to a source of gas under pressure, said valve body having an outlet operatively communicating with said valve actuating means and a second outlet operatively communicating with said nozzle member, a detachable conduit connecting one of said outlets with one of said members, a movable valve in said valve body for adjusting the pressure of gas passing through said second outlet to the nozzle member independently of the pressure of the gas passing through said first outlet to the valve actuating means, calibrated means on said valve body, and pointer means movable with said movable valve and cooperable with said calibrated means for indicating the pressure adjustment eifected by said movable valve.

2. A spraying device comprising a first body member, a nozzle secured to said body member, means providing a passageway in said body member for supplying material to be sprayed to the nozzle, means providing a gas passageway in said body member for supplying gas to the nozzle to discharge said spraying material from the nozzle, a valve for controlling the flow of said spraying material through said nozzle, a' second body member connected with said first body member and providing a gas chamber and an inlet gas passageway communicating with said gas chamber, pressure responsive means within said gas chamber and connected to said valve for controlling said valve, a valve body disposed at and detachably connected to one of said body members and adapted to be connected to a source of gas under pressure, said valve body having a pair of branch lines respectively communicating with said first and second mentioned gas passageways, a detachable conduit connecting one of said branch lines with its associated gas passageway, and valve means in said valve body for regulating the gas pressure in one of said branch lines independently of the gas pressure in the other of said branch lines.

3. A spraying device as defined in claim 2 wherein said valve means in said valve body is disposed for regulating the pressure of the gas supplied to the nozzle. p

4. A spraying device comprising a nozzle, means for supplying material to be sprayed to said nozzle, a valve means for controlling the flow of said spraying material, said valve means including an elongated stem extending into a cylinder adjacent said nozzle, a piston means on said stern, said piston means including a collapsible chuck gripping said stem, a body member on said chuck and having a cam surface cooperable with a chuck cam surmamas face to collapse the chuck against the stern and fix the piston means on the stem, means for supplying gas under pressure into said cylinder for actuating said piston means to operate said valve means, and means for supplying gas under pressure to the nozzle for discharging said spraying material from the nozzle, internally threaded means at an end of said cylinder in alignment with said stem, a threaded member adjustably turned into said threaded means for engaging said stem and limiting opening of the valve means, said last mentioned member including a split internally threaded portion, and a screw member turned into said portion for expanding said portion to lock said last mentioned member in an adjusted position.

5. A spraying device comprising a first body member, a nozzle secured to said first body member and having a plurality of gas discharge passageways and a spraying material discharge passageway, means providing a passageway in said first body member for supplying material to be sprayed to said material discharge passageway, means providing a first gas inlet passageway in said first body member for supplying gas to all of said gas discharge passageways, valve means in certain of said gas discharge passageways for controlling flow of gas therethrough independently of gas flow through other of said gas discharge passageways, a valve for controlling flow of spraying material through said material discharge passageway, a second body member connected with said first body member and providing a gas chamber and a second gas inlet passageway communicating with said gas chamber, pressure responsive means in said gas chamber and connected to and controlling said second mentioned valve, a valve body disposed at and detachably connected to one of said body members, said valve body having an inlet passageway connectable to a source of gas under pressure and branch lines respectively communicating with said first and second gas inlet passageways, a detachable pipe section connecting one of said branch lines with its associated gas inlet passageway, and valve means in said valve body for regulating flow of gas to said first gas inlet passageway independently of gas fiow in said second inlet passageway.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,052,953 Tracy Sept. 1, 1936 2,239,987 Bramsen Apr. 29, 1941 2,266,365 Harrison Dec. 16, 1941 2,401,503 Paasche June 4, 1946 2,707,657 Paasche May 3, 1955 OTHER REFERENCES American Machinist, February 15, 1923, p. 271, vol. 58, N0. 7. 

